By

Prof. Santi Longo 

longosan@unict.it

               Infestations by RPW in Italy seem to have original from imported palms (plants with gread development) without an appropriate inspection neither phytosanitary control. Although it is difficult to specify their origin and date, it seems that the introduction was carries out at 2003; during this year several palms have been imported from Egypt or North Africa.

               In Sicily the RPW attacks only plants of Phoenix canariensis which are higher than 5 m height grown in various town gardens. Many male Canarian palms were dead in Catania province (Acireale, Acicastello, Trecastagni, S. G. La Punta). No attacks of this pest were detected on Phoenix dactylifera and others ornamental palms in Sicily and in Italy (Tuscany and Campany).

In Sicily, the elimination of infested trees has not been applied systematically as soon as the pest was detected.

               The work carried out, from the RPW identification, according to the European Union legislation, these have had as objective to eradicate to the pest. In the Work Group “ Emergenz Punteruolo rosso delle palme” are interested:

Proff. Santi Longo and Giancarlo Polizzi (Università di Catania - Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Fitosanitarie). Prof. Daniela Romano (Università di Catania, Dofata);

Dr. Filadelfo Conti, Ernesto Raciti, Valentina Tamburino, Franca Sesto (Regione Siciliana. Servizio Fitosanitario Regionale. Unità Operativa 54, Acireale, Catania)

               All the works have carried out in coordinated form, by means of periodic meeting.

A) The prof. Longo has developed the following lines:

1) Morphology of RPW.

The adults (45 males and 37 females) collected in Sicily (Acireale, Acicastello, Marina di Ragusa) during 2005.06, varies in size and is 31,12 mm (30,94 males, 32,13 female) in length and 10,14 mm (10,06 males, 10,33 females) in width. The head and rostrum comprise is 9,24 mm (8,61 males, 9,87 females).

Prothoracic spots position of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus adults collected in Sicily:

a)      Females

b) Males

2) Natural enemies of RPW.

Ectoparasitic mites were found at mesothoracic wing, under the elytra on mesotoracic targets of RPW adults.

The natural pathogens (fungi and bacteria) of RPW in its habitat in infested palms caused high mortality rates of larvae and pupae.

3) Valuation effectiveness, in olfactomer, under laboratory conditions of Tripheron Pheromone and System of trap (Tripheron Pheromone trap) in public parks and private gardens in Catania and Acicastello for effectively mass trapping RPW or monitoring its flights.

B) The Dr. Conti, Raciti, Sesto and Tamburino, in December 2005- February 2006, has esamined 492 palm trees in Acireale, Acicastello, S. G.la Punta and Trecastagni, 56 of them are infested of RPW (infestation rate 11,4%).

UNIVERSITA’ DEGLI STUDI DI CATANIA

DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE E TECNOLOGIE FITOSANITARIE

SEZIONE DI ENTOMOLOGIA AGRARIA

IL COORDINATORE

Report from Sicily

Egypt  Gulf area  India Iran Jordan Spain the Mediterranean Area the Middle East

RPW World Report